Curious about keeping fires alight overnight and during the day..........

[woodchip]

I have a question about keeping fires in overnight, and letting them burn slow and long.

My firebox is just under a cubic foot and with a small ashpan, it is not really meant to be left running slowly overnight. I suspect that if I could load it up with big bits (within the space permitting), would a slow overnight burn really be that helpful? My insulation is really good, the temperature does not drop that much overnight with the fire out, and it really is not that difficult to bung a bit of paper, some kindling, and a couple of small splits on to get it lit again. Yet from some of the comments I read here on some threads, it's almost like letting a fire go out is like having your heart stop, and you have to have a major operation to get it going again (please take that comment in the manner it's meant, with some humour thrown in). I'm just curious, are some fires really difficult to get going once they have gone out, I appreciate that priming a cold flue may be a pain in cold climes, and a fire burning slowly will stop all the masonry round the fire going cold. The other side of the coin being the advice to keep a fire burning brightly to reduce creosote buildup in the flue.

Your thoughts please (preferably polite, but being from England I'm used to a bit of stick)

 

[Leaky Waders]

Because my wood is not optimal, and because I work long hours away from the house, I often find myself starting new fires. So long as you have kindling, some small splits, and a reliable draft, it isn't overly burdensome to start a new fire. It is however certainly easier to just throw a small split on hot coals, and walk away while she gets roaring.

 

[Renovation]

Your thoughts please (preferably polite, but being from England I'm used to a bit of stick)

Welcome Chip!

And Happy Christmas in Merry Olde! (One of your countryman once lambasted me for being so culturally insensitive to say "Merry" Christmas, so I'm careful. )

To answer your question, I think letting the fire go out has its own advantages, especially if you don't need the heat. I guess the main one would be wood savings--there's nothing wrong with that.

Some folks, myself included, are geeks who enjoy tweaking stuff, and the pursuit of long burns can be as much for entertainment as it is for function. You're right that burning fast and hot burns out creosote, and even slow burners should do it for a bit daily, to keep creosote from building up and causing a chimney fire.

What's the area like where you live, and how do you think stoves, wood, burning, etc, differ from the states?

Best wishes, and Happy Holidaze!

 

[Shari]

(Isn't it called "Boxing Day" in England?)

Have you tried the Top Down method of starting a fire? Works well, great when you have re-start a cold stove: (broken link removed to http://www.woodheat.org/tips/topdownsteps.htm)

(PS There used to be a video of this method, can't find the url to it.)

Shari

 

[DanCorcoran]

I think many (but not all) of the people who post on this site live in pretty cold areas of the US. England in general is warmer, so I think it's relevant when you describe being able to let your fire die without waking up to a frigid house. For many of us, this would be very difficult. I think that's the main reason for the emphasis on overnight burns.

 

[fire_man]

I have a question about keeping fires in overnight, and letting them burn slow and long.

My firebox is just under a cubic foot and with a small ashpan, it is not really meant to be left running slowly overnight. I suspect that if I could load it up with big bits (within the space permitting), would a slow overnight burn really be that helpful? My insulation is really good, the temperature does not drop that much overnight with the fire out, and it really is not that difficult to bung a bit of paper, some kindling, and a couple of small splits on to get it lit again. Yet from some of the comments I read here on some threads, it's almost like letting a fire go out is like having your heart stop, and you have to have a major operation to get it going again (please take that comment in the manner it's meant, with some humour thrown in). I'm just curious, are some fires really difficult to get going once they have gone out, I appreciate that priming a cold flue may be a pain in cold climes, and a fire burning slowly will stop all the masonry round the fire going cold. The other side of the coin being the advice to keep a fire burning brightly to reduce creosote buildup in the flue.

Your thoughts please (preferably polite, but being from England I'm used to a bit of stick)

Hi Woodchip:

The reason I do not like to let the stove get cold is because it takes me almost an hour to get the large soapstone stove up to temp. form a cold start. Your smaller stove would work better for quick starts, so the idea of a slow overnight burn is not as important. If your house stays warm overnight then I would not even waste the wood trying to keep the stove warm. You are right, when my stove gets too cold overnight my heart does stop, but that's because I try to heat 100% with wood and I need to get the stove up to temp before frantically leaving for work each morning at 4am. The idea of hearing the Furnace kick on and burn - I can't even say it - oil, is too horrible to imagine.

I visited England a couple times many years ago, and the two things I will remember are the unbelievable great Beef Vindaloo and the pints of warm Guiness! It's worth going back just for those!

 

[argus66]

i seem to burn less wood when i keep a fire going then when i have to re-start all the time but if your house is warm and holding the heat no big deal. when its warmer i just make fires at night when i get home from work so i can enjoy the flames and the warmth and just let them go out overnight and not pack full of wood for a overnighter.

 

[KB007]

The fear here (Ottawa, Canada) is that if the fire goes out then either a) the house gets real cold real fast in the middle of -30C winter nights or, b) god forbid, the furnace comes on and it's like filling burning money.

One of the main reasons we seem to like the bigger firebox stoves is that they can be loaded up at night and still have a good bed of coals to start the next load by morning. Last year I think I had to actually light 3 fires in total from a cold stove, once when I had the sweep in and twice after being away for a couple of days. The rest of the winter it was continuous hot coal re-starts in the morning. Not that I mind cold re-starts, it's pretty easy, 4-5 splits with a firestarted brick and 1/2 hour later, voila - roaring fire I'm way to lazy to start building fires with newspaper and kindling and saving all the little twigs for the kindling and all that cuts into the beer drinking time.

 

[BrotherBart]

We don't have -30C but then we don't have a furnace that will come either. So it is keep the stove hot or have that 20 degrees outside become 20 degrees inside.

 

[Kenster]

(Isn't it called "Boxing Day" in England?)


Shari

Uh.. no. It's called Christmas in England. Boxing Day is the day after Christmas.

 

[joshlaugh]

I keep the fires going overnight to keep my house warm and not have the NG kick on. In your case with the house being warm in the morning I wouldn't bother. Here in Ohio I have to burn overnight and in fact I wake up around 3am to add wood to the stoves to keep their stovetop temps up.

 

[wendell]

If you don't need the heat, keeping it going is no big deal but it is certainly possible with a small firebox. With my less than 1 cf Morso, I always have enough coals to get a new fire started in the morning unless I sleep in. After getting my fire established, I always run my stove (including overnight) at about 90% closed which is the only way to keep my flue temps at 1000 or less.

 

[woodchip]

Thanks for all your replies!

Yes, it is generally a lot milder here than in most parts of the USA and Canada! Having spent a holiday in Alberta a few years back near Fort Macleod, I know what you mean by proper cold winters!!
It was whilst over there that I saw woodburners for the first time, and got fascinated, having always previously only had open fires which burn wood fast without giving much heat out......

And here is a picture of our stove, a Clarke Regal (yes, that is a pot of soup cooking on top, it's cold for here at the moment)!

And I'll be moving my wood further away after reading the other thread on here about woodburning outside the stove

 

[Renovation]

Hi Woodchip,

You've obvious read enough to know one of our favorites--photos! Excellent move.

How nice to sit here in my American den, and view a message and photo from an English one. Very cool.

That's a very charming setup you have--my compliments.

So I Google on your stove, and in a few clicks I'm looking at your owner's manual. Nice--burns coal or wood, has three air controls, grate riddling (moving) lever, very simple burning instructions.

Thanks for a glimpse at a stove on the other side of the ocean. Have a happy Christmas!